Soon: BMW autonomous testing center in Munich

Recent reports reveal that BMW is planning on creating the next i Division vehicle. Internally, it is codenamed Project i20 and for the love of the future, the car will be fully autonomous. It can still require a diver but is capable of most driving situations, or it may not require a driver at all. It really depends on what BMW has in store for us. To make the next i Division product a reality, BMW is building an autonomous testing center for vehicles. It will be located in Munich.

Rumor has it that this new testing facility will be creating around 2,000 jobs in the area. The concept is similar to Tesla’s Gigafactory, except this is more for batteries and electric powertrains than autonomous driving.

Hard core BMW enthusiasts do not find this new focus appealing because BMW create ultimate driving machines, not robots. However, this is the trend of the future and as expected from BMW, they may ultimately create autonomous cars that people would want to use.

BMW representatives have commented before that being autonomous doesn’t have to ruin the Ultimate Driving Experience. The car may be fun to drive when the driver decides to use it, but also has the ability to be completely on its own when needed. Drivers can then utilize their time better in traffic or long drives — which really makes sense for the future. This autonomous testing center will help to make that happen.